


Lost in the storm

by TheBaggins



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Spiritassassin - Fandom
Genre: Backstory, Canon Compliant, Character Study, Developing Relationship, First Meetings, First Mission, Gen, Hurt, Injury, Jedha, M/M, Mission Fic, Pre-Canon, Relationship Study, Sharing a Bed, Sharing a Room, Some Fluff, Some pining, The Force, Young Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-03
Updated: 2017-04-09
Packaged: 2018-10-14 15:03:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10538898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBaggins/pseuds/TheBaggins
Summary: Chirrut Imwe and Baze Malbus are two fresh out of the oeven Guardians of the Whills, who are assigned their first mission together. Baze Malbus thinks it's a bad idea to be accompanied by Chirrut Imwe, the playfull heartbreaker. They're complete opposites and when a mission relies on good co-operation, putting to opposites to work together may end up badly....





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [erebones](https://archiveofourown.org/users/erebones/gifts).



> Based on prompts given by rachel4revenge:  
> It's a mix of both i guess? But It's def based on the first.  
> There's....rooms sharing and consequent bed sharing too. Only it's a rock...or...floor...whatever.   
> Hope it's ok....  
> 3\. baze and chirrut are on assignment together as new guardians. feelings ensue (maybe jealousy? bed-sharing?)  
> 4\. honestly anything, you have free rein. a little angst is fine as long as the ending is happy. ie, surviving scarif, being afraid the other is dead/dying/badly injured, but everything is okay in the end.

Baze Malbus was an exceptional Guardian…

From the moment he’d joined the Temple of the Whills in his early teens, he’d followed his instructions very closely , he’d always been a model of a student and his elders would always praise him for his excellence and devotion.

He wasn’t a great inborn talent so to say; he didn’t excell because he was naturally adept to everything his Guardian training required. The thing is, he was very dedicated and hard working in every task he undertook so he eventually mastered it.

He’d gone through all his training the same way: Scholarly, physical and spiritual . He learned and studied the old scripts and literature of Jedhan tradition, the history of the Temple and the City; spiritually he was patient and devoted, he had managed to learn everything the monks preached and taugh and he was always prominent enough at the meditation and cerebration excersices. He struggled very hard to understand the Force and its ways, he hoped to manage to become “sensitive” to it, as some monks had in the past. It wasn’t common, but he didn’t lose hope and that made him work harder, it gave him an outlook.

Of course, saying he learned all the credendae, it doesn’t mean he recklessly and inconsiderably devoured and accepted all he was told. Quite the opposite in fact. There were many occassions in which he engaged in long debates with his masters about the concept behind a certain line in the scripts, or a certain verse in a poem. Debates which he’d usually win, since Baze Malbus didn’t make a habit of excessively talking very often, unless he thought it was necessary, so when he did he made sure had _something_ to say. He never spoke just to speak. His word had gravitas and importance.

So he also impressed with his versatility when he spoke. Usually quiet and focused, if you saw him you’d never guess he would be so strongly opinionated. When he did start talking, he spoke with passion and wisdom. Not the kind of passion that’s fiery and excites you, but the kind of passion that comes from the soul. His aggressiveness drew from an internal fire that was fed with a great sense of right and wrong, with a need to be true and right to himself and others. All that wrapped with innate kindness that simply overwhelmed others, and well-versed words, caught his listeners by surprise and made it very hard to argue.   

He was very often used as an example by the masters, for other acolytes, and later, in his late teens already, he served as a mentor to younger children. He didn’t take on the role with conceit and pride, rather with a sense of duty, taking the younger ones under his wing, a brotherly affection and deeply rooted love, that seemed to extend to almost all living things.

Baze Malbus had also trained in all combat techniques their Guardian training required. He was never very eager to fight, but it was part of their discipline so he saw through it. He wasn’t necessarily the most graceful or delicate fighter, but he was effective. Much like his debating, his fighting was forceful and disarming, but it never was force for the sake of force or fighting. It was mighty and beautiful like a volcano: it didn’t happen with a purpose to destroy, only to defend; it was a consequence not a cause.

All in all, Baze Malbus was an exemplary Guardian. Reaching his young adult days, he was an example to all and a most proficient student. Everyone was surprised when Baze chose to see through his Guardian training and follow it to its end, instead of choosing to become a monk.  He had the attitude and he was prone to the monastic ways.  However, he chose path of the defender, not the guide.

And as he did with all things, he did his best there too. He gave it his all and that meant that he almost never failed.

Almost…

That was until Chirrut Imwe got involved in his life.

CHirrut imwe had been his classmate and occasional friend for a very long time, but he wasn’t someone he would greatly fit with in terms of ideology and personality. In fact he thought they were quite opposite. He wasn’t sure what he thought of Chirrut Imwe. … He was someone who confused him enormously. Chirrut was confusing as a person generaly. More so as they grew up. He joked around a lot, he never took things too seriously. But  he was never the person who’d rebel and be a jerk. He was a top class student who followed all the rules by the book; he just, maybe bended them ever so slightly on the way…. Just enough to get his way but never too much to get caught or draw too much unwanted attention that would get him into trouble. Which is probably what irritated Baze the most.

Chirrut was not someone who had a specific goal, an inclination, a calling or a preference. He had views but not a credo... He always preferred to take both of something if the option was given, instead of making a choice between two. And if the option wasn’t given, he looked for one or created one. Chirrut was the type who would accept there’s “no way out” of a situation. A no-win scenario. That was his attitude in life, and he went through their years of training that way; he tended to avoid head on conflict, but he always expressed his opinion in a very evident way.

Baze couldn’t understand how a person could live their lives without a specific goal to keep them going, without an evident devotion to what they were doing. It annoyed him that Chirrut, while he was an excellent student and someone with clear talent, never gave his full attention to what he did. He never seemed to strive for perfection, he just did what was enough. Even worse, spiritually Chirrut was way more adept than Baze. He somehow always managed to “catch” things before him and with more ease, but he never made anything of it, as if to him it wasn’t a big deal. Baze would get infuriated at such times.  
  
Just as he couldn’t make out if he liked or dislike Chirrut, same way he never knew if chirrut liked or disliked someone truly. Well, if he hated someone it would definitely become evident, but hate is a strong emotion, and it wasn’t’ something any of them had the chance to feel and experience luckily. Besides, hate is obsolete and Chirrut disliked something so binding.

He was friendly to everyone, and everyone liked him thought Baze could never figure out if  everyone was his friend or he just made a habit of being friendly to every single person.

To Baze Malbus, Chirrut Imwe was a mystery. A mystery he didn’t really have the time or will to explore.

 

Or so he thought..

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Time came when he was given all the time and opportunity to get to know Chirrut better. A lot better.

As chance would have it, they were assigned for their first mission as guardians together. A most unfortunate circumstance as Baze had thought, since he couldn’t see how the two of them could ever work well together. They were completely out of tune, they had different styles and approaches, it was never going to succeed. He thought of mentioning it to the Elders.. What were they thinking, putting these two together? But, being the actual example Baze Malbus was,he didn’t say anything or questioned their choice of partner for him. Perhaps that was part of the mission: to work with someone so opposite from him was a real challenge and maybe they should learn how to overcome such obstacles.

 _Well, they found a heck of a time to teach that lesson_ , he thought, considering the high risk of the mission, for which they had to spent a few days in the wilderness of Aeons that was far away from their Temple, in the area of Hobath.

The Hobath area was a place that started at the outskirts of the city and took over an entirety of 131 sq. km, roughly the size of a country, and the Aeon wilderness covered over 416 km of it. It was huge and deserted, much unlike the Holy City. It was the area occupied by the first inhabitants of the moon, which they soon gave up because it wasn’t very hospitable. Nothing grew, the sandstorms were brutal and common, so were the earthquakes. It was soon abandoned in search of a more hospitable location that would be more secure and protected from the storms, so the people would manage to build their homes and their temples.

The area of the Holy City wasn’t exactly prime living conditions but the people of Jedha were hard working and used to hardships, so they managed to makethe Holy City a cultural centre by the passing of time, especially since the Temple was built. Of course you could also say the Temple was the reason Jedha became a cultural and religious centre. The Temple of the Whils was one of the first things built in the Holy City and everything else was built around or near it. With the spread of the religion, a lot of people came in for pilgrimage even from other worlds, particularly after the rise of the Jedi. With Jedha being the home of the Kyber Crystals, its fame grew to a point of frenzy. Soon it became a place where people could learn about the Force; but also about the culture of the city and other worlds since the people who came to visit sometimes stayed there, traded knowledge with the monks of the temple, or even joined the Temple as Guardians and monks, hence passing on a lot of their culture into the scriptures and writings.

As the Jedi were once the reason for Jedha to become more popular, they were also the ones who eventually turned the tables and sealed its fate. The longer time passed the more the Jedi receded from the beliefs of Jedhan tradition and the Whills. So those old traditions became outdated, left to be remembered by fewer people, the Temple and its occupants became less open, they retreated into their lonely work, not bothering much about anything else. The Holy City however kept on thriving (though not as much as before) for a long time, gathering all sorts of people, very slowly turning into a more merchant centre.

Baze saw the change of the city somewhat indeferently. He believed that change was imminent and that whoever failed to keep up would not go much further in life. Sometimes, change was for the worst, sometimes for the best. Change could mean degration, but through degration came rebirth. It wasn't the definition of optimism, but for Baze it was the reality. The old gave its place to the new. That was how the world worked. Insisting on the past wasn't going to help anyone... So, on the day of the mission, Baze malbus was standing there, at the ends of the Temple’s court, next to Chirrut Imwe, another the other young, charismatic Guardian, ready to depart for their first mission.

First mission it was called, but in reality it was very typical for young guardians to be sent for a few days to survive alone in the wilderness of the Aeons, thus completing their training and becoming fully pledged guardians. Now the Wilderness wasn’t’ easy business. As mentioned before, a lot of natural phenomena occurred that made it inhospitable and dangerous at times, let alone the various beasts and animals lurking about. Worst of all were the sandstorms, that could reach over 50 feet and last more than 10 whole minutes! It also had become a place known for hiding bandits once in a while, usually fugitives from other worlds, or even the Holy City itself. But given the living conditions, no one stayed there for too long.

Baze was definitely not looking forward to this experience. He never was the adventurous type anyway… He’d rather be assigned to do some actual Guardian work, maybe transport Kyber crystals, go on a mining mission, protect someone. A mission that had a meaning…. Well, there they were now, he couldn’t do much about it he’d just have to deal with the situation..

Chirrut Imwe on the other hand, looked delighted. _What a fool_ , Baze thought. Chirrut seemed to be pleasantly disposed half of the time, which drove Baze mad; what could he possibly find so amusing so often? Whenever his glance moved to chirrut he was either entertaining himself through conversation, or doing something very energetic, like exercises, practicing techniques, even housework at random times, when it wasn’t his turn. What’s worse, whenever he saw Baze staring disapprovingly at him, he gave him a wide toothy grin as if he found Baze's disapprovement amusing.

It’s not that Baze was moody, not at all. He was often found doing things he liked, like caring for the Temple’s gardens, reading, meditating, transcripting or even doing physical work like practicing targeting. He was also known for his dry and witty humour, but he gave it out only on occassion, as if he was mindful of not giving away too much . And he certainly wasn’t silent all the time. He did have his cycle of people he would hang out with every now and then. He just found he didn’t have the need to talk to people that much, it would drain him, so he needed time to recharge. Chirrut seemed like a person who gained energy just by talking to others.

They knew each other as kids. When they were very young they were much closer. They'd both found themselves in the Temple at the same time, both from very different environments, but they were out of their waters in there, they had no one else and in there, they found each other. They'd gone through much of their childhood almost unseparated, keeping each other company, helping each other out, adapting in the life of the Temple and building a new one for themselves. Baze didn't know or remember what exactly had happened and they had drifted so much appart. They never had a fight or something. They just suddenly found themselves around different people. Their schedules didn't collide, their activities changed and as they grew, their priorities changed. Maybe, when you spent so much time with someone, you eventually have to go your seperate ways if you are both going to develop your personality in your own way. Maybe they had too much influence on each other that drifting away was necessary for them to (re)discover themselves.

They’d talked a few times in the past. Mostly it seemed as if they just always…were… in the way that people just seem to exist in someone’s life the whole time, and they’re part of it, but you never give it a second thought, until one day you realise you’ve spent most of your so far life with them existing next to you, and you know nothing about them.

That’s how Baze felt about Chirrut Imwe. He just existed.

But now, looking at him under the morning Jedhan sun, his hair shining as the sunrays hit the top of his head and his travel robes fluttering from the slight breeze , leaning against his core, revealing a well built, strong body, he realized he’d never really known Chirrut. That’s not how he remembered him. For as long as he could remember, Chirrut was the goofy boy sitting next to him in most of the training, cracking jokes a lot of the times, sometimes being an arrogant ass or moving around as if he couldn’t find a good spot to sit on, distracting Baze or annoying him. It’s not that Chirrut was a bad kid, no, in fact he’d often seen him help the younger ones, the ones in need. He'd certainly helped him when he most needed it. He was gentle when he wanted and talked seriously when he tried. But he rarely tried. Baze hated. Chirrut had so much potential, yet he never seemed to take himself or anything around him seriously enough to actually achieve something. So Baze just ignored him for the most time. He never gave any effort to get to know him.

Right at that moment under the early morning rays, he realized he may have been wrong. He never noticed how Chirrut had changed. How big and older he had become. Standing there, with his eyes closed enjoying the morning light, he looked more serious and wonderful than he’d ever seen him. His face showed maturity and growth he hadn’t seen before. Chirrut wasn’t that goofy classmate anymore He was a full-grown Guardian, gone through the same training as he, cultivated his mind as he had, had the same spiritual experiences. Maybe he had hurried to judge Chirrut as a young boy and he’d missed the opportunity to get to know the man he’d grown into.

“Baze Malbus are you so devoted to your mission you can’t hear me when I speak?” Chirrut’s voice came ringing into Baze’s ear. Apparently Chirrut was talking to him, but Baze, being absorbed by his own thoughts, never realized.

“Sorry what? I was distracted”, he said, hoping he wasn’t staring too intensely at Chirrut when he turned to speak with him.

“I said, I am really not excited about going to the wilderness. I mean I can’t wait to see the ruins of the Old City but, the wilderness sounds like a handful. I’m not one to complain you know, but I’d appreciate being able to transport back here whenever I wanted, I’m not looking forward to stumbling on a sandstorm or something”.

“I thought Chirrut Imwe was an adventurer”. Baze said, very unironically and genuinely confused.

“Wherever did you get that idea?” Chirrut asked, giving him a content smile and a wink, which confused Baze even more.

Chirrut looked into the horizon, and added “well, here we go into the great unknown. It’s our time to be Guardians Baze Malbus”.

With that, he placed his things over his shoulder and started stepping down the steps of the Temple. There, he paused for a second, right where the sun was most bright, creating a glare around him that made him look like a vision, and gleefully he said:

“Well, at least i’ll have you by my side, of all people…”

With that mysterious statement Chirrut continued walking towards the exit of the courtyard, as Baze hurried behind him, thinking this was set to be a long, confusing and possibly unsuccessful journey. He didn’t’ like any of these options. But somehow… without being able to explain it, he was also suddenly content that Chirrut Imwe was accompanying him.

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

The journey was quiet; their speeders travelled through the city as the sun was rising, and they caught a last glimpse of it bathing in the sunlight, looking as red as ever. Baze felt a slight stir in his stomach. He didn’t know what he was feeling exactly; he’d never left the Holy City to go that far before. It didn't feel as bad as he expected: he felt a slight sorrow looking back at his city glimmering like it was in flames, but he knew he would see it again and he didn’t experience any sadness. Rather a bit of excitement, much to his surprise. Excitement and that feeling when you venture into something entirely new and foreign, which is not fear or joy but it’s soul clenching somehow. He never thought he’d be so calm about leaving the City. Maybe, he wasn’t as attached to it as he thought. Or maybe he had grown enough to know in his heart he wasn’t bound with it forever… Or just maybe, the presence of Chirrut next to him somehow made his heart skirt at the prospect of the journey.

It was a very new feeling. He was mostly too concerned with it to notice the rest of the route. For a terrible instant, he wondered if what he was all of a sudden feeling for Chirrut was attraction. He shivered at the thought. If it was, he was screwed. He’d never really been very intimate with Chirrut Imwe and he definitely wasn't under the illusion that he was the type of person to notice someone like Baze, so that was bound to end only painfully for him. _No, it can’t be. No way. I’m just experiencing these things because of the journey that’s all, he told_ himself. More in order to distract himself from exploring the feeling, than to actually convince himself.

It’s not that Baze was unattractive or didn’t enjoy flirts now and then in his life, he was, in fact , quite a well-built young man and he was aware of some instances of him being noticed by others, but he just never really concerned himself much about it and he certainly didn’t think he could ever end up developing feelings for Chirrut of all people. _Focus Baze Malbus_ , he mumbled under his breath. The journey ahead needed him to have a clear mind, he couldn’t fail, so he would make sure he was focused and ready, not distracted by such frivolous issues. Baze Malbus was an exceptional Guardian after all.

It was nearly sunset when they arrived at their destination. For the whole journey, chirrut was following Baze’s lead with his speeder and several times Baze had to speed down for Chirrut to catch up because he was left behind, looking at the view and the scenery. They spend a long while looking at bare land, nothing of interest just empty unfruitful, with no clues of civilization, until slowly the soil started becoming more eroded, and signs of ruins scattered here and there appeared, becoming more and more serried as they kept traveling.

Once they reached their given co-ordinates, Baze unmounted the speeder and streched.

-I thinky my arms are mad at me.

Baze turned to find Chirrut looking worryingly at his arms, swinging them around every now and then, looking like a weird human-sized puppet.

-It was a really long uncomfortable journey. Baze rubbed his butt. it was numb from sitting on the speeder all those hours. Chirrut smiled crookedly.

Baze gave a sideye to CHirrut and added: - Way too long a journey..Very Slow...

Chirrut seemed unaffected by the accusation that was colouring Baze's voice, he only fluttered his arms in circles in an effort to shake away the tingle he was feeling.

Baze let out a disappointed sigh, went back to his speeder and started unpacking it.

Once he'd move all of the luggage he turned to check on Chirrut's progress only to notice he was no longer next to him, but he had climbed up and old parquet -well what was left of it- and he was gazing strenuously at the sunset.

Baze, without saying a word, approached him and stood next to him. The evening breeze stroked his skin and made him shiver-it was a sweet night but the air was still chill. Their robes swirled. The whole place had a deep orange colour in the spot where the sun was setting, painting everything it touched that way, but the sky above them had already started turning into a deep twilight blue and the first stars were now brighter.

Chirrut took a deep breath, as if he smelled the air around him, and without turning to Baze he said:

-Well, here we are.

-Yes, Baze replied dryly.

Chirrut nodded his head. - I’ve never been that far from the City; or the Temple for that matter.

-Homesick? Baze asked, almost indifferently.

-Perhaps…. Chirrut's riddling answer hovered unfinished as they continued gazing in silence. They said nothing more.

Eventually, CHirrut turned to Baze, gave him a toothy half smile and patted him on the shoulder.

-Let’s go dear Malbus. Let’s set up a camp. We must survive here after all.

Chirrut turned his back on Baze and walked gleefully towars the opposite direction.

Baze mumbled an incoherent ‘yes’ and he started looking around the area  for a place where they could set up a camp. As the night was getting deeper, the cold was spreading. They’d have to build a fire soon and set their tents. Baze scouted around the old ruins while Chirrut was unloading his own belongings and then went looking too. They hadn’t brought much of course, only the things they needed to set up the camps and simple tools to make food. They were supposed to operate on minimum and mostly old technology, since being a Guardian on a mission may mean surviving with only bare necessities for a long time.

Looking at the corrupted soil and the destroyed ruins, Baze wondered however on earth the people here had managed to survive for so long before setting into looking for a better home. This place was completely bare. There was nothing to protect them from the attacks of nature. Baze walked for 10 minutes before he could find a sheltered place for them to spend the night. It was a high ground at the top of what seemed to be ruins of an old building. Possibly a temple, an acropolis or perhaps something that resembled a fortress. In any case, it was high enough for them to be able to see what was happening around them, and it had enough stone walls set up here and there that could easily protect them from mild weather phenomena. Pleased with himself, Baze called Chirrut’s name. He had to call several times before Chirrut would reply. He didn’t risk shouting too loud and making their presence known to anything that might be lurking about. Soon enough he heard Chirrut’s voice calling him .

-Baze? Where are you? A huge rock was hiding CHirrut from Baze’s sight. He realized that from down there the rock made the fortress invisible.

-I’m up here right behind the rock. Continue moving to the left. Just follow my voice…

A while later, Chirrut’s short shaved heave made its appearance from over the rock and up the steps. He was panting but seemed awfully pleased with the view around him.

-Nice place, he said breathing heavily. He dumped the things he was carrying on the ground and rested on a smooth stone right opposite Baze.

-Looks good for the night, Baze said.

-Yes, I feel the weather isn’t going to change much tonight. Tomorrow….we will find out.

-And how do you know that? Baze asked, half annoyed by CHirrut’s certainty, half intrigued by it.

-I don’t know, I just feel it.

-Right. Chirrut smiled at Baze’s reply.

-You don’t believe me? Well, I suppose I’m just optimistic. I mean, I do try to feel the Force to be honest. Believing you can feel it is as good as I’ve gotten. It’s often enough to go with thought.

-I suppose it is. Baze replied very dryly, pretending he was busy setting up the tent. Chirrut was left looking in the distance for a few seconds and then got up and started helping him out. The truth was, Baze just didn’t really want to talk about the Force or his faith in it with Chirrut. He always seemed to be adept in these things or at least, he pretended to be, and he didn’t feel he had the depth of experience to talk about it. Baze always found himself struggling with his faith. Not just in the force and the teachings, but in general. In himself, others….

So when the time came for him to let his mind be one with the Force, he always felt a little doubt rise inside him. There were times he’d felt a connection, times he’d felt the Force overcome him and open his mind, times he felt he had finally made it; but soon the feeling was dissolved by a stroke of self-doubt. Was it really the Force he was feeling? He was very dedicated and convinced about the power of the Force, there was no doubt about that he believed in it with every inch of his existence; but how could he be sure that that’s what he was experiencing? How did he know that that was truly a spiritual experience and not his imagination, powered by his own urge to believe, that gave him that illusion?

-Does it matter? Baze heard chirrut’s soft voice behind him. He paused and without turning he asked:

-What? His ears were pumping. He felt as if Chirrut was reading his mind and his doubts, and was talking straight to him…

-Does it matter if I only believe that I am connected to the Force even if I’m really not? Chirrut’s voice had a genuine inquiry in it that made Baze turn and face him. He really wondered for a moment if Chirrut did indeed read his mind somehow. But one look at his serious, hopeful face, convinced him Chirrut’s question was a genuine concern. Baze took a moment to reply. He was choosing his words carefully and then he replied with more certainty in his voice than he felt in his guts:

-I suppose that’s enough for now. Maybe that’s why we chose to be Guardians instead of monks, maybe we only need to believe that we believe and that’s enough for us. Chirrut grinned widely and chuckled. He patted Baze on the shoulder while lifting himself up and stretching out:

-Well let’s hope that’s enough to get us through the wilderness friend. Let’s rest. We have a long way to go. Maybe, this is why we’re sent here, maybe we’re supposed to trust our own skills and belief in the Force to guide us out.

 _Maybe_ , Baze thought and deep down he hoped Chirrut was right…

He lied down in his tent while Chirrut was settling in his own. The rocks under his mat pierced his back. He was tired and the sweet sensation of it was overcoming him, making his eyes close and his senses dim. Chirrut seemed to be serious about the mission, so he hoped their cooperation would run smoothly and not as he was dreading, end up in endless arguments about how to do things. It appeared the young fun-loving man, was much more serious and deep thinker than Baze had ever given him credit for. Hopeful for the first time in the past few days, he let the sleep carry him away.

It took Chirrut a long time to manage and fall asleep. He was over excited and filled with so many different feelings that he couldn’t relax and sleep despite the fact that his limbs were hurting from the journey. He’d never been so far away from home before. Leaving behind the Holy City was very hard for him. He never thought he had grown so attached to it. He knew he’d get used to it sooner or later. Chirrut was a fast adapter.

He always found it hard to go for change on his own but when change happened he became accustomed almost faster than anyone else. It was both a skill and a curse. One of Chirrut’s worst fears was to become accustomed to an unsatisfactory situation and then it would almost be impossible for him to get out of it. So he never dweled on something for too long. On an idea, a routine, a task, from the simplest to the most complicated thing. For Chirrut, a daily routine could easily end up very boring and any new task could end up like a daily routine. SO he had to continuously find new ways to keep himself on his feet, to keep his interest running and his mind open to new possibilities. That would often end up tiring and gave him the feeling he was never satisfied. It sometimes made him seem purposeless and shallow, always looking for new thrills, but the truth was, he needed to keep himself interested and inquisitive.

The world was filled with so many possibilities, he wanted to keep discovering them and exploiting them. His connection to the Force gave him further insight to the possibilities that existed. It helped him keep focused on few things at a time, than getting lost in their endlessness. His connection to the Force helped him keep connected to the world around him on a more grounded level than his mind ever could. He trusted the Force to guide him through his chaotic thoughts, whether or not he could connect to it on a higher level.

And he knew that the Force was the one that was urging him towards Baze Malbus so violently, he was almost overwhelmed. That thought made him even more restless and he decided to get up and walk around a bit. He wandered about the ruins of the old fortress. He felt the cold air pierce through is bones, but he didn’t take his upper robe with him. The cold was surprisingly soothing for his mind.

He felt a sudden wave of sadness looking down at the ruins.People had lived here. They’d created a life, a routine, a culture-however short and primitive it might have been. The place was once filled with life and now It was bare and abandoned.

Behind him, Baze lgave a soft snore in his sleep ; Chirrut smiled. He felt incredibly soothed by Baze’s presence. The Force had brought them together on this mission and he’d never been more content. He’d always felt a slight attraction to Baze. As a child he liked being around him every now and then, Baze was always very firm in his beliefs and his way of thinking, in his manner. It felt like a rock, when everything around him changed Baze was a constant. Even though he never got to know him greatly till then, he felt as if Baze had always been there, waiting till the moment was right for him to notice him.

Lately he’d also started noticing how beautiful Baze was. His way of talking, behaving, was magnetizing and his kind and rough face and body became even more appealing because of that. Every time CHirrut stood next to him he felt all his confidence abandon him and a wave of self-awareness knocking him off his feet. He felt stressed whenever he was close to Baze,; to him,  Baze was one of those self-conscious people who know exactly what they want and who they are in life.

 Moreover, he was always so serious. Though Chirrut had known Baze for enough years to know he had a very light and goofy side to him, that just needed the right approach to be revealed. In the silence of the night, he heard a bird crow and his mind returned to the present. He heard Baze’s loud breathing from inside his tent and he felt tired himself suddenly. He headed back to his tent and lied down, focusing on Baze’s breathing. Soon sleep reached him too...

 


	4. Chapter 4

They spent the next day mostly silently, navigating through the desert trying to find a change of scenery. For the entirety of their day’s travel, everything around them remained the same. The same bare corrupted soil, the same withered green plants once in a while, similarly looking rocks and an occasional crater here and there created by coalitions with meteors or volcanic eruptions. The next day passed the same way. Barely speaking, the land ever the same and no signs of life, nothing unexpected. It would almost feel as if they were going in circles if their navigational instruments didn’t inform them otherwise.

On the third day they encountered some lizard -like species, native only to the moon of Jedha. They were huge omnivorous beasts -the Pao-with 6 legs each of which consisted of two clawed fingers, ideal for grabbing. However, they were mostly calm and wouldn’t attack unless they felt threatened.

Baze and Chirrut had to change their given route in order to avoid them and do a semi-circle around the area of the beasts’ residence, so they had no unpleasant encounters with them. They didn't intend to fight them. That delayed them thought and gave them extra walking hours and one more sunset to endure. A sunset that gave them more tired legs and low morale, as the scenery around them never seemed to change. They spent their time walking mostly in scilence, exchanging a few words about where to go and what to do next if not. Short exchanges of wit could take place (occassionaly) during lunhtime-afterall a full stomach gives enough energy for it. They'd argue over the way they saw the Force or talk about how they saw themselves in a few years or even gossip a little about the people in the Temple. All of it very brief and guarded, not being too open with one another.

It’d been the end of the fifth day when a rough, tired voice ripped the silence that was wrapping them.

-How much longer are we going to stay in this damned wasteland? Baze Malbus screamed at the sky, while dropping his luggage. A few birds flew away annoyed at the disturbance, but other than that there was no reply to Baze’s desperate question. He was growing tired and bored of the repetitiveness around him and his impatience was starting to get the better of him. It was not in his nature to be impatient for the most part, but the dessert seemed to go on and on as far as the eye could see.

He felt a hand on his shoulder. Chirrut had approached him. He appeared wind up himself, though his expression was one of determination.

-Let’s rest a little. Then we can check if we have any new orders or information. Maybe a hologram was sent while we were doing our morning walking…

-Well, you’re suddenly very calm… Baze said bitterly.

He felt disappointed he had managed to get wired up before Chirrut, known for his restless nature. Chirrut however was anything but calm. At that very moment, all he wanted to do was to start running endlessly toward the horizon in the hopes of getting out of the dessert eventually. Luckily, his legs were heavy and tired and the sun was once again setting, which would make it impossible for him to run long enough to even look smaller. Upon seeing Baze, the usually calm and stoic Baze malbus, so hopeless, he decided he had to keep sane for both their sake. In false hope, he sat down and took the communicator out of his bag. _There are no new messages_ , the voice said.

-Blasted thing. He murmured under his breath. Baze was pacing nervously around Chirrut.

-Maybe the messages got lost. I mean it’s not like we have top signal out here. Maybe we need to turn back and take another route. Perhaps the guidelines and the coordinates were fake, so we could figure it out and make our own way out...Baze said in a hopefull voice.

-Why would they do that? They could’ve just left us without coordinates and clues and it would be exactly the same.

-I don’t know! Baze snapped. His voice was now louder. -What do they expect us to gain from this? It’s pointless. What, are we supposed to let the Force guide us? The Force doesn’t exactly come when called…

-Maybe they expect us to connect deeper with the Force through this. Maybe if we meditated we could see the Force’s ways more clearly….

-Fine, Baze growled. They both set their things down, activated a protective shield around them to make sure they were safe during the meditation, adopted their preferred stances and started breathing calmly, focusing on the energy around them, setting their mind free…

-I can’t it’s hopeless, Chirrut interrupted several minutes and different stances later.

He looked at Baze who had a distasteful grin on his face, sign that he was also struggling to relax. Baze let out a small sigh. -I’m tired. I need food and drink.

-We’re running out, we should save, Chirrut said grumpily.

-Well I don’t care I want to eat and drink now. Baze’s voice rised.

Chirrut stared intensely at Baze for a few seconds before he decided to hand him over the supplies. He tried to calm himself but he was getting frustrated by each passing moment. Baze’s resignation and annoyance had triggered a strange feeling of restlessness in him that had managed to somehow hide itself till then. He was growing hungry, tired and felt like he’d burst if he spent another day doing the exact same things in the exact same location without any hope or sign of it ever ending.

It was more than just Baze’s attitude though. It was a sudden shift in the air. A strange sudden urge to start moving, to go somewhere else and not stay put. He couldn’t explain it but he believed in his gut and he believed in his senses. They were after all one with the Force, or at least he wanted…. he believed they were… He waited patiently till Baze finished hismeal and then he hastily got up and started picking their things up.

-What are you doing, Baze asked with a hoars voice.

-I’m getting ready to move dear Malbus, Chirrut replied as calmly as he could. He wasn’t sure Baze would be in the same mood to leave just yet. -We have a long walk ahead of us, we’d better leave now.

-What, you mean continue ahead? To the co-ordinates? What’s the point there's nothing there, you can see it for youself, he said, pointing abruptly at the wilderness around the. -Ah, You’re a fool! It will get dark soon we need to find shelter and then make up a plan for our next move. That’s the best -and frankly only option- we have right now.

-I’m sorry my friend but I have to disagree.

-Disagree?? Did you…did you say disagree? You HAVE to disagree? Baze asked half furiously half-mockingly.

Chirrut remained untouched by Baze’s mock and shift of tone, he only kept packing and gave no reply.

-There’s no disagreeing. We should go back to our last shelter or at least find something here nearby and rest for the night. We can’t do anything more today that will bring any progress to our mission. Chirrut had finished packing and by that point he started walking to the opposite direction of where Baze was pointing, towards the sun that was moving to its setting spot. -Hey, do you hear me? Baze shouted. -Hey!

Chirrut ignored Baze’s calls. Baze lifted his arm and grabbed Chirrut's luggage.

He wasn't sure why he'd done that... As if that would stop Chirrut from doing whatever he wanted. But he was so angry it was the only thing he could do instead of punching Chirrut's pretty teeth.

Chirrut turned aggressively towards him. He spurted forward to Baze's direction only to be whrenched away.

He was breathing heavily. He shouldn't let his frustration get the better of him. There was no point confronting Baze in the middle of the desert. He backed away slowly. With a sigh he loaded the rest of his stuff on his shoulder and moved away from Baze without saying a word.

Baze was left looking for a moment or two mystified and boiling.

-Hey, he called out again. -Stop!

Chirrut continued walking uninterrupted. He only raised his arm and signaled Baze to follow him. Baze sighed and run angrily towards chirrut. He reached him and blocked his way.

-Stop. What are you doing? he said again. - You self -important fool! Do you always have to do it your way? Can you for once put logic and practicality over your dumb impulsiveness? Where do you think you will go now? Huh? Look ahead! There’s nothing! Only waste and dirt! The Instructions were wrong, or fake, stop following them blindly, we have to sit back and re-evaluate our course of action.

-Baze, I’m serious when I say I cannot stand to spend another day like this. I’m tired of the wilderness and I know we must keep moving. Trust me when I say, we must leave this place.

-YES! Let’s leave! But don’t’ move forward we don’t know what’s out there! Let’s go back to what we know is safe and then start over next morning. Don't go galavanting alone in the wild. Come with me.

-No, Baze you don’t understand… Can’t you feel it too? We should keep moving, moving ahead there’s something there, it’s close I can feel it. You must sense it too! Have a little faith open your mind!

Baze was up to his ears with Chirrut and his attitude. Who did he thik he was teaching him about faith?

-Faith? You’re talking to me about faith? I am more dedicated to our task than you’ve ever been Chirrut Imwe. Don’t pretend to care now. Everything is a joke to you. You don’t sit to think before you do something, this mission could cost us another year of training and your first course of action is to move ahead when you KNOW the best option is to turn back? I don’t think so. That’s not faith that’s idiocy.

-I mean faith in yourself you big headed bantha! You know you have the same feeling as I do, yet you choose to ignore it for something that’s “safe”. What you felt was the Force, guiding us. You didn’t just imagine it…

-DON”T tell me what I was or wasn’t thinking. And don’t you dare lecture me on the will of the Force Chirrut Imwe. Spare me your silly wisecracks. Baze didn’t continue. He felt he didn’t have much to go on because indeed he had also felt a compulsion to keep on his toes, to move. He also knew that he could move backwards and forwards and it wouldn’t change how he felt. His feeling only told him it wasn't safe to stay put. So moving backwards was what he trusted was better. Chirrut’s words had gotten to him though. Maybe if Chirrut was so sure… just maybe what he’d felt was the same. Maybe he just didn’t trust himself enough to see it… What if Chirrut was right?

-Listen to me Baze. I’m telling you we need to move forward. Baze didn’t reply.

-Well I’m going, you can stay here or go back ...Chirrut insisted stubbornly and started walking. Baze once again sighed. He run to Chirrut once again.  Maybe if he hit Chirrut, knocking him unconscious he could stop him from leaving. But then he’d have to carry him back… He did none of that however, he only kept walking annoyed behind Chirrut. He was tryin to think of his next argument in order to convince him. He was really leaning towards knocking him unconscious because every argument he could think of was not going to be enough.

-BAZE! He heard chirrut’s panicked voice calling him. Baze returned to reality suddenly, only to realize he had moved passed Chirrut and was now several feet ahead. He turned back to face his companion, angry at him and himself but Chirrut called once again:

-Baze come back to me. Hurry up!

What was happening? Why was Chirrut calling for him so urgently? He turned to look behind him and he saw it: A terrifying wall of sand was forming on the horizon, still far away from them but closing in faster and faster getting bigger by the second. It was blocking was was left of the sun, hidding the light. Baze’s heart rate elevated and he felt a kick in his stomach. Sandstorm. _Damn it_. The sandstorms around there were known for their savage attacks and destructive power. They had to find a shelter. Right away!

He started running towards chirrut shouting at the same time:

-CHIRRUT! Run, run back, go! I’m right behind you. At his reply, chirrut turned his back and started running, occasionally looking back to see if Baze was following him. His heart was beating like crazy and his blood pumping in his veins. He never saw the storm coming and now they were in a great risk. He had to make sure Baze was arlight. With that thought he once again turned back to check on Baze. Suddenly, Chirrut lost the earth beneath his feet and his heart jumped into his chest. Baze was nowhere to be found. Feeling nauseous he started frantically calling his name.

-Baze! Baze! Answer me. Are you ok? If you can hear me, follow my voice I’m right here!

Silence. Only the sound of the storm approaching ominously could be heard. _Damn you Baze Malbus answer me_! But Baze never did. Panicking like he’d never done before, CHirrut was now running back to the last place where he’d seen Baze. He couldn’t be sure he was even running at the right direction since the storm had come so close he could barely see. He removed his upper robe, clumsily emptied some water on it and covered his face. He continued navigating through the sand. Eventually he stumbled upon something that made him loose his balance and trip. He fell on the cold ground, and then he saw him. It was Baze. The thing he’d tripped on was Baze’s unconscious body, half buried in the sand.

Nearly in tears now, Chirrut removed his headband and covered Baze’s face as fast as he could. The sand was now getting in his nose and eyes making him cough and his eyes burn. He ripped a part of his lower robe and covered his own face once again. Then he removed one of the straps that held the layers of robes together and used it to tie himself and Baze together. He had to try and carry him to a safe place but he had to make sure he wouldn’t lose him again if anything happened. He lifted Baze on his back and with great difficulty he tried to rise on his feet. Impossible! He kneeled down from the weight scrapping his knees. Baze fell from his shoulders and rolled away, pulling chirrut together in a frantic roll.

His loose robe, now battered and dirtied from the fall, disentangled from his body and before he could do anything it flew away. His upper body, was now covered with the thin white undergarment, and was more intensely whipped by the sand that hit it with mania. He managed to stand on his knees and once again pulled Baze on his back. His legs were burning, the muscles on his entire body complained, he could barely see from the sand, but nonetheless, he managed to lift Baze this time. Ignoring the pain and weight, the push of the storm and the sand grazing his body, he kept going. He had no idea where he was going but he kept moving, trying to get as far away from the cloud of the storm. He followed the path he thought he recognized through the dust and sand, rocks and tree.

After walking a few meters he gave up finding any familiar signs and continued blindly. He haulted for a second looking around helplessly. It was impossible now to get any navigation devices out of his bag, not without leaving Baze down again and he couldn’t do that. Chirrut closed his eyes and tried to breathe steadily. His body straightened, his breathing became softer and more tempered, his body was getting numb to all the pain. He convinced his mind to stop thinking about it, to move away from the storm, to leave his fear and panic behind, to be set free.

He brought back from his memory the days of training under the sun,  when learning the mantras, the prayers that would help them calm their minds and aid them in their effort to understand and connect to the Force.

 _The Force and I are one. The Force is everywhere and everything happens as its will. The Force will guide me. The Force is everything , so I am one with the Force. The force will guide me, as I am one with the Force,_ he repeated.

He was trying to convince himself he was going the right way, he was trying to find a way to see the path they had to take clearly, so he could help Baze. _Help Baze._ That's all he could think of. His mind had blocked any other distractions. Getting Baze out of there safely was all he had to do, at any cost. This wasn’t a silly game anymore. It wasn’t a show off where he got to impress the Elders and the young acolytes around him with his so-called Force sensing skills, as he’d often call them, much to the disdain of the Master Guardians.

It was a matter of life and death and he had to focus.

 _The Force is everywhere, the Force is everything and so I am one with the Force and the Force is with me. The Force_ …cough, i _s with me_ , cough overwhelmed him once again. He stopped for a moment trying to breathe and then he continued again more decidedly. _The Force is with me…I am one with the Force. The Force will guide me,_ he chanted as he kept going.

He was calm now, he didn’t care to know why or how but he was. The sound of the storm had stopped pounding on his ears, it all felt numb and far away. He let his feet take him wherever they wanted. He didn’t think about the destination he only made sure he kept Baze steady on his shoulders, keeping his head low. _I am one with the Force_ …

Eveyrhting went dark and he felt the air taken away from his lungs.

Something had hit him from behind, sending him and Baze on the ground several feet away, Chirrut flat on his stomach and Baze on top of him.

It took him a while to regain his consciousness enough to stand up and look around him. The sand was no longer manically whipping his torso and he wondered why. They’d fallen behind a rock, on the opposite direction of which the storm was heading so the urge of the sand wasn’t as great and some of it was cut by the rock. Chirrut could now stand up and take a long look around in another effort to find something, anything, that could provide even basic shelter for them.

And then he saw it… Between the clouds of sand, a dark opening of a cave was waiting for them. With renewed courage, he lifted Baze once again and headed to the opening. Once he reached it, his heart sunk. It was a crater. A steep but deep crater. They'd have to jump in!  How could he take Baze down there without risking him getting injured even worse? Hastily, he untied Baze’s arm from his and tied the fabric around Baze’s waist, shoulders and legs, steading his core and limbs. Then he tied the other end around his arm. He pushed Baze near the crater and Chirrut steadied his leg into a hole and his free arm around a sharp rock that was at the lip of the crater.

Steadying his body, and grabbing Baze from the arms, he slowly and carefully lowered him down the crater.He held on as much as he could but eventually the weight pulled Baze down abruptly causing Chirrut to fall along, scrapping his arm on the rock on the way down. He managed to soften their fall by grabbing the rock while falling. Baze was now in the crater. Chirrut's arm was all that was keeping them from falling now. 

There they both were, Chirrut grabbing the rock with one arm, a sharp pain slicing his shoulder, and Baze's unconcious body hanging like a sack next to him. Chirrut slowly lowered Baze gently to the ground. That made him put more weight on his other arm, holding the rock and he suddenly felt the pain pierce through his senses so incredibly that he couldn't breath and he could no longer hold onto the rock. His let go and they both fell on the hard ground. It wasn’t a bad fall. Chirruts entire right side was now numb. His right arm was hanging on the side useless and dripping wit blood form the scratch on the rock. He’d probably dislocated his shoulder…

He didn’t care about that now. All he could think of was to get Baze to lie down straight so he could examine him, see if he had any serious injuries. He moved him further into the back walls of the crater. The storm didn’t reach them anymore, the walls and half curved ceiling around them was protecting them. He didn’t make a mistake entirely when he thought this was a cave. It used to be a crater but the corrupted rocks had curved around the lips and they narrowed the opening, creating something like a cave with an entrance from above. It wasn’t deep enough to be dump and home to any beasts, and though it was cold, it was protected from the wind. The frawsty smell of the "cave" hit CHirrut's nose right away and it felt reassuring for a moment, as if it confirmed they'd be protected under there.

After chirrut made sure Baze was breathing and had no life threatening injuries he covered him in what was left of his spare robes and routed in the supplised he had saved for anything that could help them. He found a food compresser that had 2 rations left in it, a small bottle of water, some light generators and a communication device. The hologram projectors had probably fallen of because they were nowhere to be found. He'd try to get a signal from the radio coms once he'd lit up a fire.

 Once the fire was crackling, he examined Baze’s face in the light it offered. He looked peaceful and CHirrut felt guilt overwhelm him. _This one is on me_ , he thought. He was the one who was so over confident in his foresight, that made them delay in turning back to the shelter. It was that delay that made them fall unsuspecting in the middle of the storm and as a result Baze was now lying there unconscious, scratches all over his face and neck, sand found in almost every bit of his face and body. He had been a fool, he'd interpreted what he'd sensed very differently,  with haste and no sign of hesitation or consideration. Without examining what he was feeling any deeper. And that was the result.

He should be very careful from now on how he perceived the will of the Force. It wasn't to be trifled with, it wasn't something obsolete and set. It was random and wild and what he could only do, was to  look through the riddles it offered with wisdom and assiduity.

He looked back at Baze's face. He was so beautiful... He'd spent a long time admiring Baze's good looks back in the Temple, for while now, but looking at him so closely now, made him appreciate every little detail on him. His eyebrows, light and this creating a small frown right in the middle of his forehead, his perfectly shaped eyes and his nose was very smooth and traight until the nostrils widened near the end, creating a beautiful triangle with his mouth, that drove Chirrut crazy. Baze's earts were protruding from his short shaved head and looked more goofy, softening Baze's somehow glaring characteristics.

He did find Baze attractive. Or rather, aesthetically pleasing... But it wasn't until recently that he started feeling somehting deeper and different about him. It took him a while to convince himself he actually _liked_ Baze Malbus. Once he'd done that, all he could do was pine over him. Unsure if Baze would reciprocate, he contented himself gazing longingly at him. At times Baze would notice him staring and would frown. He probably wondered why CHirrut was looking at him so intensely. That frown made Chirrut smile every time, so he just gave Baze a most entertained smile before looking down and feeling his stomach dance.

Most of all, he loved how Baze smelled. He gave a sense of freshness and dirt. Not the dusty unclean dirt, but pure and fresh soil dirt. Probably from the time he spend tending the gardens. His garments however were always clean and the smell of the Temple was embeded in them. He smelled like home.Even when he got sweaty during a work out or physical work...

Baze gave out a small sigh.

Chirrut looked at him with concern. Baze didn't seem to be bothered by anything in particular so Chirrut relaxed again. Baze had brought him back to reality.

He dropped the last water he had saved on a fresh cloth and started cleaning Baze up. He had to remove the sand from his nose and eyes. He then carefully raised his head and spilt some water in his mouth, hoping it would wash off whatever dirt he had swallowed. He hoped he’d found Baze soon enough for any damage to have been cause by inhaling the particles. For now Baze had no difficulty breathing so Chirrut could rest by his side, making sure he was kept warm and hydrated.

Once he was content with Baze's contition and care, Chirrut turned attetion to himself.

Honestly, he looked terrible. He suddenly felt all the hardships and tribulations he'd gone through overcome him. His body was heavy and pain started becoming noticable. His body was battered from the groveling he'd done and whipping of the storm. His shoulders and belly had scratches and his entire torso was covered in dust and sand, mixed with trails of blood. Most of the blood however was coming from his arm. He'd scratched it deeply when he tried to soften their fall down the crater. Wost of all, was the pain on his shoulder. He had been dislocated from rapidly grabbing onto the rock and from the weight of both his own, and Baze's body. He had to try and reinstate it. He took a deep breath and, by leaning against  the rough wall, he pushed his shoulder right back with a jerk. The pain was so great it made his eyes water and his senses dim.

The pain passed very soon however and then Chirrut could focus on cleaning his wounds up. He turned the cloth, with which he'd cleaned Baze. inside out and he started removing the dirt from the wounds and removing the blood. He was tired and sleepy but the stale smell of fresh blood dripping down his arm kept him tense.

Once he was done, he let himself lean back and lie next to Baze. His body was numb and just as he lied there, listening to the fire's soothing sound and Baze's soft breathing; that's how sleep took him, he didn't move a muscle.

 


	5. Chapter 5

When Baze came to his senses, the sun hadn’t rised yet; he woke up to a low burning fire. He tried to raise his head but he was dizzy.

He coughed. His throat felt sore and his mouth was dry. The smell of dirt was still in his nose, but it was softened by the dump air around him. He tried to clear his eyes so he could look around but it made no difference. Everything was blurry… Once he tried to open them, they teared up and felt a slight burn. He panciked… _Cough…_

-What happened, CHirrut???!!!!!

At the sound of Baze’s voice Chirrut popped up and looked at him in agony.

-Baze! Dear Baze you’re awake! How do you feel?

-Something's wrong. I can’t see very well, everything is a blur. What happened how did we get away from the storm?

Chirrut moved uncomfortably.

-You can’t see? He asked, trying to keep his voice calm.

-I can see with difficulty. I can’t tell apart shapes, all I see are shapes mixed together with colours. It's a litle painful when i open my eyes. What happened? Tell me, Baze demanded.

-You had sand get into your eyes. They are irritated and dried. I don't think you damaged anything though, or then you wouldn't be able to see a thing, Ill help you wash them. The important thing now is to get you hydrated and have someone examine you. Hopefully in time your eyes will clear up and you’ll be back to your old self again. Chirrut's voice was filled with forced optimism...

Baze couldn’t see Chirrut’s face well but he knew he gave him that toothy smile he was so accustomed to.

The worry that lurked under the optimism made Baze soften a bit. He tried to calm himself. They were safe apparently, there was no longer a storm and they were somewhere inside. The last thing he remembered was him getting caught in the storm cloud and feeling breathless. That meant that Chirrut had looked for him and carried him to wherever this place was. 

-Where are we anyway?, he asked Chirrut, making himself sound indifferent.

-Oh, eh....We're in a cave. Well it's a crater but...it's as deep as a cave, Chirrut's mood lightened with the change of subject.

-I'm hungry.

-Here, Chirrut handed him a ration.

-Where did you get this?

-It was in our supplies. Well the ones i managed to save. We're...kind of sort on food and water...

Baze split the food in half and offered some to Chirrut.

-Eat, he said simply.

-Uh I've had my part of it, you go ahead.

-I said eat...

Baze's tone was final and offered no room for arguements.

Chirrut didn't bother arguing. He still felt terrible for putting Baze in the position he was. He ate without much appetite, however, seeing Baze eat and then food filling his stomach, he started feeling a lot better and his appetite grew.

Baze kept eating and didn't speak. Surprisingly, he felt no worry. He knew things would be ok. He knew his eyes would be just fine. 

-I’ve contacted the Temple, Chirrut said shyly.

-You have?

-I told them we fell into a storm and we need assistance. Look,he said before Baze could speak. - I know we needed to get out of here on our own…and if by morning you’re better I can try and take us to the end of the wilderness, but…I .. I had to let them know. I couldn't leave you without proper med care. Also our supplies are either lost in the storm or over. We've nothing. A medical team will be there, we’ll have completed the mission I suppose since we’ll get out. But… I’m sorry Baze I had to make sure you’d receive good treatment even if it means we’ll fail.

-It’s alrgight. Baze’s surprising answer made Chirrut sit up, looking hopefully at Baze.

-You thought practically and with the best interest in mind. I don’t blame you. I’d have done the same. Baze's reply was short but it didn't reveal any annoyance anger or disappointment.

Chirrut let out a sigh of relief. He feared Baze's response so much. He knew the mission meaned more to him and he thought he'd be furious if he learned he had signaled the Temple's master guardians to their aid. They would probably fail because they had to endure one more sunset and get themselve back on their own.

-Baze?

-Hm? , Baze was now done eating and almost half asleep again, but his low grunt let Chirrut know he was still listening.

-I...I'm..., Chirrut sighed and continued: - I'm so...

-Don’t be, Baze cut him off.

-But i…

-I said don’t. I’m tired I don’t need apologies. We were both fools, we paid for it, end of story.

-But I brought us here…you were injured because of my…

-Stupidity? Yeah you were stupid. And so was I. I was impatient and I was tired… . Stop taking blame, it takes two to argue, two to make a mess. What’s happened is in the past. You saved my life. You came back for me  probably injuring yourself on the way, when you could’ve just easily save yourself. You don’t need to apologize.

Chirrut didn’t say anything. He was looking at Baze with wonder and relief.

-Now shut up and let me rest, Baze added. -You should rest too, your voice sounds like Po dung. With that, he turned to the side and closed his eyes.

He heard Chirrut shift behind him as he also lied down. _You old fool_ , he whispered.

Chirrut lied next to him, his back touching Baze’s. The warmth of the fire and their bodies made them feel good at that very moment. Chirrut reached for Baze’s arm and Baze willingly offered it. He felt his heart skip a beat.

Who would’ve thought after all this time, he’d end up lying next to Chirrut Imwe, holding arms? True, the situation wasn't ideal, but he did't care. He smiled content. He didn’t know if they’d fail the mission. But that was a thing he’d leave for the morning. For now, he could rest happily, knowing that whatever happened from now on, Chirrut would be with him and the thought of a life in which he was a part of, made everything else look trivial...


End file.
